Criminal Justice

passed both · Hawaii · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 2494: RELATING TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.

Establishes factors under which officers may arrest and detain persons without a warrant for petty misdemeanors and violations, and requires officers to document the justification for the arrests. Amends the circumstances under which officers may issue citations in lieu of arrest. Requires officers to issue citations in lieu of arrest for certain petty misdemeanors and violations, unless public safety or flight risks are present or the alleged offense involves operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant or the abuse of family or household members. Requires the Judiciary to promulgate a standardized citation form and updates the required information for citations. Requires citations be visible on an offender's criminal record. Requires the Criminal Justice Research Institute to submit reports. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates citations for petty offenses, requires arrest documentation, and limits warrantless arrests - directly advancing accountability and reducing unnecessary arrests per reform goals.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 2250: RELATING TO THE PROMOTION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

Amends the offense of promoting a controlled substance in, on, or near schools, school vehicles, public parks, or public housing projects or complexes to include homeless facilities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by adding homeless facilities to prohibited zones for promoting controlled substances, increasing drug offense penalties in vulnerable areas.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 2377: RELATING TO PROPERTY DAMAGE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES.

Establishes the offense of criminal property damage to critical infrastructure facilities as a class C felony. Expands the term "critical infrastructure" to include broadband, wireless, and cable networks. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeClassifies property damage to critical infrastructure as a felony, expanding criminalization of property offenses85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExpands critical infrastructure to include broadband networks, protecting internet infrastructure and enhancing cybersecurity safeguards.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 18, 2026

SB 3281: RELATING TO GAMBLING ENFORCEMENT.

Establishes the criminal offense of promoting an illegal electronic gambling device. Authorizes civil penalties and actions relating to premises on which an illegal electronic gambling device has been used. Allows the Attorney General, any county prosecuting attorney, any county police chief, or the Director of Law Enforcement to take certain actions against places used to commit certain offenses that qualify as a nuisance. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new criminal offense for promoting illegal gambling devices, expanding criminalization within criminal justice enforcement framework.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 2249: RELATING TO BRIBERY.

SB 2249 establishes increased penalties for bribery offenses under certain circumstances. The bill specifically targets bribery by raising criminal penalties when specific conditions apply, though the abstract does not detail those conditions or identify which individuals or entities would be directly affected. Key provisions involve modifying penalty structures for bribery convictions, but the official abstract provides no further specifics on the circumstances or mechanisms. As the bill is currently pending introduction (with no committee referrals finalized), no concrete policy changes have been enacted. The summary is based solely on the provided abstract, which lacks details on affected parties or exact penalty levels.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for bribery offenses, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of strengthening punitive measures without reform elements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 2518: RELATING TO ASSAULT AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

SB 2518 increases penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers in the first degree, which is the most serious category of such assault. It directly affects individuals convicted of attacking officers and strengthens legal consequences for these offenses. The bill establishes stricter sentencing requirements, including longer prison terms, for first-degree assault against police officers. This changes the current penalty structure to impose harsher punishments for this specific crime.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for assaulting officers with stricter sentencing and longer prison terms, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of harsher punishment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 2516: RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

SB 2516 creates a new penalty system for obstructing criminal investigations, directly affecting individuals who interfere with law enforcement (e.g., witnesses lying or defendants tampering with evidence). It replaces a flat penalty with a "gradient structure," meaning punishments increase based on the severity of the original crime being obstructed. For example, hindering a murder investigation would carry a harsher penalty than obstructing a minor traffic violation case. This change aims to make sentencing more proportional to the seriousness of the underlying offense.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens penalties for obstructing investigations, directly enhancing law enforcement's ability to prosecute crimes and aligning with 'Hindering Prosecution' subject.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 3072: RELATING TO THEFT.

Requires a mandatory twelve-month minimum sentence of incarceration, without the possibility of parole, for a conviction of theft in the first degree when the value of the property or services stolen exceeds $250,000, whether imposed as a mandatory minimum sentence for an indeterminate term of imprisonment or as a condition of probation, in addition to any other authorized disposition such as restitution or a fine. (SD1)

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates 12-month minimum sentence for high-value theft, increasing mandatory penalties without judicial discretion, opposing criminal justice reform efforts.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 2732: RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE.

SB 2732 requires courts to consider a defendant's actual financial situation - not just a fixed bail amount - when determining pretrial release. It directly affects individuals detained before trial who cannot afford cash bail. The bill mandates judges to evaluate specific factors related to a defendant's ability to pay, such as income and assets. This aims to reduce pretrial detention based solely on wealth, rather than financial capacity.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReforms pretrial system to reduce wealth-based detention, aligning with justice reform goals like reducing inequitable detention and protecting civil rights.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 263: RELATING TO COMPENSATION FOR COURT-APPOINTED COUNSEL.

Increases the rate of compensation and maximum allowable amounts per case for court-appointed counsel in criminal proceedings. Appropriates funds. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases funding for court-appointed counsel in criminal proceedings, enhancing defendant representation and access to fair trials per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

Track